Offutt Air Force Base - STRATCOM

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Offutt competing with Ellsworth for 775 jobs

Post by eomaha »

Apparently the Air Force has narrowed down their selection for a new financial services center, to Offutt and Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota. Now I thought they were going to close Ellsworth? Well hopefully Nelson's sucking up to the Republicans, if nothing else, will help get us this new center. Sounds like we're much better suited for it, with a 100,000 sq foot building ready to go, the job force is here, communications infrastructure, etc, etc.

World Herald story: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=2184600
Employing up to 775 people, the proposed center would process financial transactions and operate a 24-hour call center to serve Air Force personnel, according to an Air Force document. It would consolidate operations now conducted at individual bases.
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The Air Force expects to choose a site for the new center by the end of April..
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StratCom's new 'nerve center' up and running

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Post by eomaha »

Global Operations Center
$35 million

Along with the ongoing mission of overseeing the nuclear strike force, the center will also be responsible for computer network warfare, global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, space and global strike capabilities, combating weapons of mass destruction, and integrated missile defense.
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Post by MTO »

Yeah and knowing all that I am personally not impressed with the facility. I’ve toured NOCs in suburban office buildings that are more impressive than that one. Although I am afraid of what some of those buttons can do down at StratCom.
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Post by Asten »

pkiphd wrote:Yeah and knowing all that I am personally not impressed with the facility. I’ve toured NOCs in suburban office buildings that are more impressive than that one. Although I am afraid of what some of those buttons can do down at StratCom.
Coolest NOC i ever went in (not that there's many) was BT Cellnet (now called O2 - British Telecom's wireless group), in a little dump of a town called Slough, England. It was like being at NASA.
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Post by MTO »

One NOC I’ve seen that is much more impressive than I ever anticipated was Tuna’s (Gallup). It wasn’t the biggest/coolest/etc but for what they do it was quite nice and very well put together.
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Weather agency to get new Offutt building

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Weather agency to get new Offutt building

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=5798050
Financial hurdles have been cleared in Congress and at the Pentagon, and the Army Corps of Engineers this week awarded a contract for a new, $27 million headquarters building for the weather agency at Offutt Air Force Base.

The building will house the agency's more than 800 civilian and military personnel who provide forecasts for Air Force and Army operations around the globe.

The agency currently is housed in a 35-year-old space set up within the former World War II-era Martin Bomber plant building at Offutt. Some workers overflow into a basement and annexes.
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Post by Maverick »

It's about time. The Martin Bomber Building is falling apart.
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Post by jsheets »

But the cockroaches and mice will be missed...

:-)
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Offutt's Tattoo

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Flyover, fireworks planned at Offutt
Omaha World Herald wrote:Though runway repairs have grounded its popular air show this year, Offutt Air Force Base still plans to entertain thousands this fall. On Oct. 8, the base will hold a "tattoo" - a traditional display of military pageantry updated with live music, video screens, an aircraft flyover and a 20-minute fireworks display.

Several RC-135 aircraft from Offutt's 55th Wing will fly over during the show, said 2nd Lt. Matt Miller, a 55th Wing spokesman. Those aircraft are operating out of Lincoln Municipal Airport this summer as Offutt's runways undergo $19 million in repairs.

The tradition of military tattoos began with the English army, Waite said, when groups of drummers would march through towns at curfew, the tattoo of their drums commanding bars to close so soldiers would return to their barracks. Over time, the tattoo developed into a ceremonial display of marching and music.
I am glad that even though the runway is being renovated they will still have an event at Offutt this year. I wish they would open up more of their campus for tours. I'll be there for this.
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Offutt: Cyber Command

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Offutt, Louisiana air base battle for cybercommand
Omaha World Herald wrote:A new Air Force command one day could call Offutt Air Force Base home, but the Bellevue installation faces tough competition from a Louisiana air base. Offutt's world-class communications infrastructure makes it a prime candidate to house the Air Force Cyber Command, which the Defense Department officially created in November. The new command will control Air Force operations in cyberspace.

Offutt's elaborate communications infrastructure — a byproduct of StratCom's historic mission directing U.S. nuclear forces — could serve the needs of the new command. StratCom's own innovation center, a think tank on the University of Nebraska at Omaha's south campus, could fill the same niche as the project being proposed in Bossier City. Air Force officials are expected to decide this fall where the new command will be headquartered, with the aim of having the cybercommand fully operational by 2009.
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Post by Coyote »

Land buy meant to give edge to Offutt
Omaha World Herald wrote:The Omaha Development Foundation recently bought 135 acres of undeveloped land just south of the Bellevue base's fences at a cost of $777,500. Offutt is in the running for the Air Force's new Cyber Command — which will control all of the service's operations in cyberspace — and the additional land could offer the Air Force room for expansion if it locates the command in Bellevue. The foundation uses funds raised from individuals and companies to buy land to further economic development. It has purchased land for downtown and riverfront projects.
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Post by almighty_tuna »

Our new UNO supercomputer can't hurt our chances either.
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Post by Coyote »

Decision on Cyber Command is slowed
JOE DEJKA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:[justify]The departure of the Air Force's top military and civilian leaders "has probably slowed it up just because the new people need to get up to speed on why and how and scope and all of those things they've struggled with over the last two years anyway," Terry said. Terry said that he's gotten "pretty positive" feedback regarding Offutt's chances to land the command. He said he still feels it comes down to Offutt and Shreveport, La., which is the home of Barksdale. The Pentagon and the Air Force are expected to make a decision as to the command's fate later this month.

The Cyberspace Command is meant to coordinate computer network defense and, more controversially, offensive attacks on enemy networks. The goal, according to senior U.S. officials, is to be able to take control of adversary computer networks to thwart attacks or otherwise influence their behavior — either with or without that adversary realizing it.[/justify]
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Post by AF_Jim »

Oh god, Lee Terry, we're screwed!
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Post by Coyote »

I was talking with a Lockhead-Martin exec the other day and asked him if he knew anything about the Cyber Command. Apparently Omaha was really never in the running - since a provisional command was already set up in Shreveport - hence why the Shreveport papers picked up on the news this week and the OWH did not:

Air Force cancels plans for separate cyber command

KTBS wrote:The Air Force has canceled its plans for a separate cyber command, choosing to make it a smaller component of an existing military command based in Colorado.  The Air Force Times is reporting the cyber mission will now be under Air Force Space Command, which is based in Colorado.

Space Command is losing its oversight of the Air Force's nuclear missiles, officials said. That oversight will go to a new command. Details have not been announced. Air Force officials have been looking at nuclear oversight in the wake of two incidents, including one where a Minot Air Force Base crew mistakenly loaded nuclear-tipped cruise missiles onto a B-52 bomber before it was flown to Barksdale Air Force Base.
According to the exec - that B-52 incident we knew about on here and another incident where a shipment of four Air Force nuclear warhead fuses were mistakenly sent to Taiwan. - caused the AF to reorganize in a different manner than they had been discussing. Most of the missles will be organized under another command yet to be determined. Too bad for Offutt  but Barksdale is taking this news pretty hard - they really wanted the Cyber Command.
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Offutt again a candidate for new missions

Post by Stargazer »

Not sure why this hasn't been posted.  Landing one of these would be far bigger than the likes of Goggle/Yahoo in my estimation... and no tax breaks required.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10544421
The Air Force has announced that the base near Bellevue is a finalist for two different units: a new 900-job Air Force command to handle nuclear weapons, and a new 400-job cyberspace defense and attack unit.
Six bases were named as finalists for each of the new missions. Air Force teams will be evaluating all the competing bases, with final decisions scheduled by July.
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Offutt not favored for Global Strike Command, Terry says

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Offutt not favored for Global Strike Command, Terry says

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10601254
JOSEPH MORTON WORLD-HERALD BUREAU wrote:The Air Force said earlier this year that Offutt was a finalist for the 900-job command being created in response to two blunders the Air Force committed involving the handling of nuclear weapons.
JOSEPH MORTON WORLD-HERALD BUREAU wrote:No decision has yet been made on the 24th Air Force, a new unit devoted to cyberspace, for which Offutt also is in the running.  
I gotta say this is amazing.  What other base has what Offutt does, besides better politicians?  I'm willing to bet it goes to Barksdale.  It's politics, pure and simple, and it's time for things like this to come to Nebraska.
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Post by NovakOmaha »

They did pick Barksdale, for reasons which are seriously beyond understanding.  Offutt got hosed & needs more cheerleaders.  With all the retired personnel living in Bellevue you'd think there might have been a few phone calls.
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Post by TitosBuritoBarn »

NovakOmaha wrote:They did pick Barksdale, for reasons which are seriously beyond understanding.  Offutt got hosed & needs more cheerleaders.  With all the retired personnel living in Bellevue you'd think there might have been a few phone calls.
There was...some old Army vet named Dave Heineman...
Omaha World Herald wrote:LINCOLN – An old Army man is criticizing the Air Force for its recent snub of Offutt Air Force Base.

Gov. Heineman today joined the chorus of state politicians asking the Air Force to reverse its decision to locate the new Global Strike Command headquarters in Louisiana instead of Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue.

The decision came despite Offutt scoring higher on five criteria for selecting the site, and out-scoring Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana overall by a 89 to 81 margin, out of a possible 100 points.

Heineman, in a letter to President Obama today, urged him to suspend and investigate the decision.
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10604328
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Post by NovakOmaha »

TitosBuritoBarn wrote:
NovakOmaha wrote:They did pick Barksdale, for reasons which are seriously beyond understanding.  Offutt got hosed & needs more cheerleaders.  With all the retired personnel living in Bellevue you'd think there might have been a few phone calls.
There was...some old Army vet named Dave Heineman...
Omaha World Herald wrote:LINCOLN – An old Army man is criticizing the Air Force for its recent snub of Offutt Air Force Base.

Gov. Heineman today joined the chorus of state politicians asking the Air Force to reverse its decision to locate the new Global Strike Command headquarters in Louisiana instead of Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue.

The decision came despite Offutt scoring higher on five criteria for selecting the site, and out-scoring Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana overall by a 89 to 81 margin, out of a possible 100 points.

Heineman, in a letter to President Obama today, urged him to suspend and investigate the decision.
http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10604328
Bob Kerry needs to step up, as do more than a few of the brass that led SAC, StratCom and Offutt over the years.  Hal Daub could be helpful.  This is a battle with La., and the winner is the one who calls in the most markers.  It would really help if Grassley and the other Iowa folks in congress would step up.  Buisness people too.
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Post by 2Adam29 »

we could still land the cyber command!
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Post by Brad »

Air Force says cybercommand going to Texas

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10634960
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS on http://www.omaha.com wrote:A Texas base has landed the headquarters of the Air Force’s new cyberspace unit — another blow to local hopes for Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha.

The Pentagon announced Friday that the headquarters of the new 24th Air Force would go to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, pending a final environmental review.

Offutt had been one of the six finalists for the unit, which Pentagon spokesmen have said would bring with it about 400 military and civilian jobs.

Offutt had also been one of six finalists for the Air Forces’ new Global Strike Command, which went instead to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

The Nebraska delegation and other officials were particularly incensed at that Pentagon decision because, Sen. Ben Nelson said, Offutt outscored Barksdale and all four other contenders on the selection criteria.

And Nebraska’s delegation had pushed Offutt as the best site for a new multibranch cyberwarfare unit that instead will be based near Washington, at Fort Meade, Md.

When that decision was announced earlier this month, Nelson called it “sort of a Washington power grab.’’

“We should be able to think beyond physical boundaries,’’ Nelson said, “particularly for cyberthreats.’’

A spokesman for Nelson said a statement was being prepared in reaction to the Pentagon’s announcement Friday.
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Post by Big E »

Hmmm...  I wonder if there are any recent, high-level connections between Texas and the federal government, particularly the Pentagon.

Nah, couldn't be.
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Post by GetUrban »

Well, the good news in all of this is that we'll still have StratCom. The importance of having a major joint command at Offutt should not be underestimated. Their proposed new $458 million headquarters building has a real good chance of getting built at Offutt. The $13 mil RFP for design services on this building is approved and has already hit the street.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings"
...and then they were gone.
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Post by Brad »

StratCom takes on a new mission

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100105/NEWS01/701059952
Matthew Hansen WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The U.S. Strategic Command is the nation's new traffic cop in outer space.

StratCom will now oversee a military mission that tracks satellites and debris and tries to prevent space collisions, its leaders announced Monday.

The command, which has its headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, is taking on the new interplanetary duties as the policing of space satellites grows tougher.

Last year's collision of an out-of-control Russian satellite and a cell phone satellite highlights the danger that space junk can pose to costly working satellites — and even to the safety of astronauts.
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StratCom Headquarters

Post by BRoss »

Ben Nelson announces $120 million StratCom contract

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120816/N ... m-contract
Martha Stoddard, World-Herald Staff Writer wrote:Speaking to business leaders at the Strategic Air and Space Museum, Nelson said the U.S Army Corps of Engineers has received the first $120 million worth of funding for construction. The contract award was to be made Thursday afternoon.
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Post by BRoss »

Wow. I searched for both StratCom and Offutt and this thread did not come up. Thanks mods for finding it for me.
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Post by iamjacobm »

Great news!
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Post by BRoss »

Omaha-Based Firm Wins $524.4M StratCom Contract

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Omah ... 25696.html
WOWT wrote:The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded an Omaha-based company a $524.4 million contract to replace the existing U.S. Strategic Command headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha.

The corps said Thursday that the contract went to KiewitPhelps, a joint construct of Kiewit Building Group, of Omaha, and Hensel Phelps Construction Co., of Greeley, Colo.
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Post by almighty_tuna »

Win-Win!!
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Post by iamjacobm »

Broke ground today.

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Re:

Post by skinzfan23 »

iamjacobm wrote:Broke ground today.

Image
They have a total of 10 cranes on site. I am not sure what the regulations are for taking a picture of the base, but I will have to try to grab a quick one driving by on Ft. Crook sometime.
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Re: StratCom - Offutt

Post by Brad »

I think if you had a decent zoom you could go up on the hill by that Kum-n-Go of Fairview and get a good shot of it.
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Re: StratCom - Offutt

Post by skinzfan23 »

Brad wrote:I think if you had a decent zoom you could go up on the hill by that Kum-n-Go of Fairview and get a good shot of it.
I could try that...I drive by the gas station everyday.
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Re: StratCom - Offutt

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Brad wrote:I think if you had a decent zoom you could go up on the hill by that Kum-n-Go of Fairview and get a good shot of it.
And get shot at?
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Re: StratCom - Offutt

Post by Brad »

It doubt it. You would be about 3/4 of a mile south of the base.
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Re: StratCom - Offutt

Post by skinzfan23 »

A few pics of the cranes:
ImageImageImage
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Re: StratCom - Offutt

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Re: StratCom - Offutt

Post by skinzfan23 »

At worksite near Offutt, $1.2 billion StratCom headquarters taking shape
The office wings are taller than normal, with 18-inch spaces underneath every floor to accommodate 4.7 million feet of copper wiring cable.

About 650 workers are laboring at the site, Callicutt said, but he predicted that number will reach 1,200 later this year as work intensifies. Construction is still expected to wrap up in September 2016, he said.
Once the building is completed, the second phase of the project will begin: installing about $600 million worth of equipment and critical electronics.

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